A SOA Architecture to Improve the Tailorability and Extensibility of e-Learning Systems

In this paper we describe a new architecture of the so-called Learning Management Systems based on the integration of third-party tolos accesible as Web Services. This idea has already been considered as a promising way to build up and extend e-learning systems. Nonetheless, existing proposals lead to a very "soft: integration of LMSs and third-party tools, which is not suitable for learning contexts. Basically, LMSs can include third-party tools but they have no control over them. Therefore, LMSs cannot alter the behavior of these tools not supervise what users (e.g. students) do with them. To overcome this limitation we have proposed a new architecture for LMSs that allow a "hard" integration of third-party tools, allowing the LMS to have tighter control over the tool and manage different issues of it (e.g. events, permissions, sessions).